1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a breech opening mechanism for handguns having spring biased breech locking mechanisms. More particularly, the invention pertains to handguns wherein the breech locking mechanism includes the trigger guard assembly which may be distended to release a breech locking latch.
2. Prior Art
Numerous mechanisms have been adapted for releasing a breech locking device which retains the barrel in firing alignment with the firing pin and hammer assembly. Typically, the form of breech release is adapted to meet the particular need of the handgun user. Such uses may extend from quick loading capability to high accuracy tournament shooting.
Where the primary purpose of handgun use is for accuracy over a multiple firing sequence, the user is particularly conscious of maintaining a consistent and stable hand grip on the weapon. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations of grip during a shooting sequence disrupt the target alignment along the line of sight of the shooter and greatly hamper consistency.
Since the primary objective of tournament shooting is accuracy, many shooters prefer to use a breech loading handgun because of the absence of a rotating chamber and other moving parts which can hamper projectile positioning and alignment. The conventional method for breech loading such handguns involves the use of a spring biased trigger guard assembly which connects to a latch which locks the handgun in a breech-closed position. To release the latch, the trigger guard assembly is depressed into the receiver, releasing the latch and permitting the breech to open. To facilitate this movement, the trigger guard assembly usually has an elongate tang extending downward from the trigger guard which is adapted for grasping by the shooter. The length of the tang gives leverage to facilitate easier opening of the breech.
The tang-release device permits the user to retain a partial grip on the handle; however, the user is usually required to squeeze the tang toward the handle with both hands in order to apply sufficient pressure to release the locking mechanism. As a consequence, it is not uncommon for the squeezing action to displace the hand grip and thereby affect accuracy.